Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment has finally secured a patent for the Nemesis system found in their Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War titles. Patents can be tricky, both legally and with how the public interprets them; here's the good and bad that may come from WB's patent of the Nemesis system.
WB had been trying to secure the patent since 2015 and have only just recently seen success. The patent would be applicable for nearly 15 years, expiring in 2035 so long as fees are kept up with. Although similar systems have appeared in games like Assassins Creed: Odyssey and Watch Dogs: Legion, none have taken full advantage of the feature like WB's Lord of the Rings titles have.
What is the Nemesis System?
The Nemesis system is a feature that dynamically generates enemies. When a random enemy defeats the player, that foe will become named and develop traits, strengths and weaknesses that'll have to be contended with if they're reencountered. Enemies will also react to the way players engage with them. For example, a foe stunned or set on fire often may develop resistances or physical appearance changes to coincide with the methods used to combat them.
If enemies are reencountered, players will have to adapt or risk being bested again. Each time a foe defeats the player, they'll level up, potentially gaining additional traits and posing more of a threat. In addition to the in-fighting and personal missions, enemies will undertake on their own accord, yielding the same results. The whole system works together to ensure players are always kept on their toes by an array of enemies continually evolving in response to in-game actions.
The Good
WB's patent will give them the exclusive right to use the Nemesis system in their titles or license its features to other developers. WB has undoubtedly done the most work developing the Nemesis system to the point it's at today, first introducing the feature alongside Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. In their hands, as the original inceptors and creators, they're in a position to develop the system further and bring it to other in-house titles that could benefit from a more dynamic method of encountering adversaries. Whether in another WB title or licensed to another development team, the patent will allow the Nemesis system creators to oversee further development and improvement.
The Bad
No matter which way you look at it, a patent on the Nemesis system will stifle creativity in the industry. Though there weren't many developers and games using similar features, that possibility is now gone unless they're licensed to do so by WB. That license cost alone, along with fear of possible litigation if attempting to create a similar system, will be enough to stop many developers in their tracks from pursuing anything that resembles the Nemesis system. It's a shame considering the number of titles that could benefit from implementing a more dynamic approach to rank and fodder enemies.
While there are still some gray areas regarding just how close a similar system appears to WB's Nemesis system, it'll ultimately be a risk many developers will not take when the patent goes into effect on Feb. 23. There's hope WB will do right by the patent and develop the Nemesis system into something even more extraordinary, but only time will tell.